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2 years ago ::
Sep 29, 2008 - 2:50PM
#1
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This thread is for discussion of this week's Limited Information, which goes live Tuesday morning on magicthegathering.com.
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2 years ago ::
Sep 29, 2008 - 9:17PM
#2
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I totally understand what Steve means when he talks about LLL drafts. It was nice to have a draft archetype where you probably wouldn't end up with an absolute pile, unless too many people were dipping into one tribe.
As far as Shards of Alara Sealed goes, I noticed that a lot of people at the prerelease (particularly players who seemed less experienced) were tempted to go 5 colors because of all the mana fixing. In the end, I'm pretty sure this is not the right way to go in 95 percent of cases. I ended up playing Grixis, about evenly split between blue, black, and red, and then splashing green to run Hellkite Overlord and Branching Bolt. I think the mana fixing in sealed makes a three color deck the baseline "most consistent", but you can go four colors fairly easily without much risk. 5 colors is still a crazy gamble, though, in my opinion. OTOH, a friend of mine evidently went 5 colors and went 4-0, so YMMV. I'm pretty sure he's the outlier, though, based on talking to lots of people who went 5 color.
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2 years ago ::
Sep 29, 2008 - 9:27PM
#3
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Yeah, I lost a match to Flameblast Dragon too. I hate that card; too over-powered for limited. Should have been mythic. If you can't kill it right away, it's auto-lose.
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2 years ago ::
Sep 29, 2008 - 10:08PM
#4
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Lulz. Both the WotC articles today are in favor of the new prerelease - everyone I've talked to so far, and every other writer who material I've read - has been in opposition of this change.
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2 years ago ::
Sep 29, 2008 - 10:18PM
#5
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Funny, I've found most people complain about both triple LOR and triple EVE as it felt like you just picked a race/color and everyone got a high-power deck.
Meanwhile, I bloody loved it.
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2 years ago ::
Sep 29, 2008 - 11:55PM
#6
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A very interesting article indeed. Mostly because the rest of us non-wizards employees were not allowed to draft Shards at all. We were informed by a very nice and friendly note from Wizards of the Coast that if we did win any product that we were not under any circumstances allowed to open it and use it on site, we would be asked to leave. What the hell is the deal with this? I find it extremely offensive that Wizards seem to think that they can dictate what I do with my stuff in a venue they do not own! Any replies to this post I would be extremely grateful for as I would like to know what everyone else thinks about this series of farcical events. (PS I am in the UK I am not sure how it worked out elsewhere)
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2 years ago ::
Sep 30, 2008 - 2:44AM
#7
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~ My MTG Testimonial ~ I have been playing Magic since 1994. I have spent on the game. This is my testimonial. Spoiler:
Show
1. Magic has been for me a most enjoyable and creative hobby and some of the most fond distractions of an afternoon or evening playing, trading or building decks.
2. I believe the design of the game has improved considerably since 1994 and I always look forward to the new sets, even if they have flaws.
3. I believe that the introduction of Mythics has been entirely misrepresented by Wizards, and was from inception intended to create super-chase cards essential to most constructed formats to drive box sales .
4. The game was originally conceived as a collectible set and I enjoyed collecting every expansion from the Dark upwards. Unfortunately the introduction of Mythics has had the effect of making collecting entire sets so entirely difficult and/or financially prohibitive that I have ceased to do so.
5. I believe that Mark Rosewater has contributed a great deal to the game in his design philosophy. Unfortunately I also believe that in plan for the last six years of design he indentified and, including the upcoming Mirrodin cycle, has now spent the four most richest design spaces available to design: color themes, tribal themes, artifacts and "power creep". Whilst I in no way believe that Magic's design space has been exhausted, Wizards' weakest designs have been where they have not had these crutches to lean on.
5. I believe that if this game were to collapse in a mass migration of customers it would not happen due to any single reason, but a convergence of reasons, such as:
- mythics and chase staple rares making the game prohibitively expensive for a proportion of players (collectors and constructed tournament players);
- targeting "high churn" customer bases too much over older customers with proven loyalty;
- disenfranchisement of players and traders who host events and/or introduce new players;
- a decline in customer loyalty due to increasingly unapologetic commercial decisions negatively affecting the game;
- an over-emphasis on cards for the "disposable" formats, ie. sealed and limited;
- reaching a plateau on the recent power creep;
- having spent the ripe design spaces to quickly.
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2 years ago ::
Sep 30, 2008 - 3:09AM
#8
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I don't have time to read the whole article at the moment, but I will later. I just want to say that I'm glad you had a great time, but you might get a few negative comments in this thread!
*puts on asbestos suit*
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2 years ago ::
Sep 30, 2008 - 4:23AM
#9
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My "Tale from the Prerelease":
I woke up early and eagerly as I always do every 3-4 months. I picked up a friend and drove to the venue early so we can get into the first flight. Early flights mean more time later for drafts, trading, and more flights.
We arrived in Iselin, NJ well before 8:00. Usually, the first flight is already filled and a line is out the door for signing up for more. Instead we are greeted with a mostly emtpy room. I signed up for the flight and found that I was actually one of the first to do so! The first flight usually starts very, very quickly. Instead, I think it started about half an hour later.
While I am WAITING for the FIRST FLIGHT to start, I find out the following:
- The rumors are true, no drafts. (Why did I even bother showing up?)
- Bonus flights (and drafts) used to have a minor discount if you played in a flight earlier. No longer the case, due to WotC's new policy.
- Prizes are abysmal. Lose one match and get 2 packs for playing for about 5 hours.
- The three dealers at the venue are usually swamped with players buying and selling by now. Instead they are just talking with friends and the very few gamers about WotC's changes.
I believe the first flight was finally started up at 8:30. Usually, I think 3 flights start by that time. The sealed deck I got was quite impressive, with 2 Battlegrace Angels and a Stoic Angel. However, then entire feel of the event of openning them wasn't impressive. It wasn't a problem with the cards. It was a problem with the environment. I usually hear a half dozen or so excited people openning up "da bomb" at this time. Insead it was me and one other person on the entire room all excited. Pretty much everyone else just sat there and sorted cards. Very, very un-exciting.
Four rounds and about 5 hours later, I go 3-1, thanks to my own bad play in game one. Between rounds, there is usually a flurry of trading and showing off of cards. Instead, there are people standing around wondering what to do now. "What should we do now" SHOULDN'T be something going through a person's head between matches at the prerelease, but that's just my opinion. After round 4, I am handed my 2 packs, and I just shake my head. 5 hours = 2 packs.
Then the "What should we do now" really set in. Drafting a new set is always fun and a prerelease staple. "Not anymore," says WotC. There are a few people trading, but not many. My friend and I have plans to actually play magic that evening at another friend's house that night, and he lives rather close by, so we don't want to drive all the way home just to come back up. Thus we stay anyways. What we do:
- Play a few games of magic with the decks we'ld be playing that night anyhow. Interestingly, only ONE person even comes over with any interest in playing. NOT something one would expect at a prerelease.
- Eat. Well, this was the bright moment at Iselin. It's an Indian area and I got the curry chicken I was craving.
- Spend countless hours looking thru the dollar rare boxes at the dealers to spend my drafting money.
When we left the even at about 4:30, I just couldn't wait to be on the road. The entire experience was surreal. What was once the highpoint in fun organized play was an catastophic failure. How was it a failure? It wasn't fun. The set was fine. The environment wasn't fun. Few people. No existing prize. Very few new cards going out the door. Just, pointless.
Why didn't I go to a local store for the prerelease? I've been to "local stores" before. Some are good, some are not. But it doesn't matter. I can go to those stores ANYTIME. Heck, in 2 weeks (I believe) is the "release events". Why would I blow the change to go to the BIG event at the BIG venue just to play in a little, stuffy store? I can do that next weekend, and the weekend after that, and after that...
The moral of the "Tale of the Prerelease" is this: prereleases are on life support. They used to be the "Big Event" that absolutely anyone could play in, from the 12 year old beginner to the pro-player. And everyone would have fun. Instead, WotC has sucked the life out of the big venues and turned them into another day in a stuffy shop. Just like any other weekend event.
WotC, please listen up. This wasn't enjoyable. For the first time since Urza's Legacy, I left this weekend only playing in one flight. I was even THERE for 8+ hours and just didn't have fun. Unless this changes, Alara will be the last prerelease I attend.
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2 years ago ::
Sep 30, 2008 - 5:27AM
#10
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I don't know anything about WotC telling us we can't open our packs and draft. If it's my packs, I won, and I want to open them up and play Texas Hold'em...I'll by God open them up and play Texas Hold'em or whatever the heck game I want to play with them, including Draft! They are my packs! Maybe it's just an American thing...
I went to Philly and it was fine. A good bit smaller but that was expected, still made it to Lime Flight...not sure if that's good or not but I played in 2 flights that day. We had a line in the morning, which surprised some people and overall, I had a really good time in Philly on Sat. But one of my judge friends said that Sunday was terrible, just a complete bust.
Yesterday, I stop in a well established game store in West Berlin Nj, and ask how their weekend went and was told that it was a huge success. Matter of fact, the owner told me that WotC were thrilled by the turnout at the small stores. I hope we get some numbers that tell us if, indeed, the numbers were up from last Pre. If they were, then I think us Big Pre people will just have to accept this change and deal with it.
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